Hawaii-based U.S. Navy sub damaged in Persian Gulf

Associated Press

HONOLULU (AP) - The U.S. Navy says a Pearl Harbor-based submarine was damaged when a periscope struck an unidentified vessel in the Persian Gulf.

U.S. Naval Forces Central Command says in a statement that no one was hurt in the pre-dawn incident Thursday involving the USS Jacksonville.

The submarine surfaced from periscope depth to see if the collision damaged the vessel, but the ship continued "on a consistent course" offering no indication of distress or acknowledgement of a collision.

The Navy says one of the Jacksonville's two periscopes was damaged.

The Navy says a P-3 Orion aircraft searched the area but saw no debris in the water or vessels in distress.

The Jacksonville is currently deployed to the Middle East.

The contract to build her was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corp. in Groton, Conn., on Jan. 24, 1972, and her keel was laid down on Feb. 21, 1976. She was launched on Nov. 18, 1978.